Bottle-wadding machine



Q T. c. KELLY BOTTLE-WADDING MACHINE Sept. 5, 1939. 2,171,572

Filed Feb. 10, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet l P 3/ 20 50 3 12 20 f" d ux 2 1- 74 7 72 a 34 \llml 27 26 72 7 a l .50 i 3.9- 3 I I I 2 30 J I 7 15 Sept. 5, 1939 T. c. KELLY 2,171,572

BOTTLE-WADDING MACHINE Fil ed Feb. 10, 1938 s Sheets-Sheet 2 Sept. 5,1939. T. c. KELLY 2,171,572

BOTTLE-WADDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10,1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Sept. 5, 1939. "r. c. KEL LY 2,171,572

BOTTLE-WADDINC; MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1958 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 4 W 35 TU V J l 79 M v III 4 /////////////////////////////////////////]L- Sept. 5, 1939. T. c. KELLY 2,171,572

BOTTLE-WADDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1938 6 Sheets-sheaf 5 41 97 j\ I ////////////////////l///////////////////// Q Q V. ////l 1 l ML "ll 1lllm.....

Sept. 5, 1939. c, KE LY 2,171,572

BOTTLE-WADDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 10, 1938 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 I Patented Sept. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT oFF cE 2,111,572 nom wannmo MACHINE Thomas Kelly, mnsaslem. Application February 10.19313, Serial No. 189,721

14 Claims.

In' the packaging of medicinal tablets or the like, it is customary, either before or after the bottle has been filled with the required number of tablets, to insert a wad of cotton or other fibrous material into the bottle, to hold the concans or like receptacles are fed in the form of a continuous procession, and to divert the stream of bottles or other containers from the runway and through the machine of the present invention, which is designed to cut oil charges of cotton wadding or like fibrous material from a continuous rope, sheet or strip of material, and to plug the bottles with the charge thus severed, and again deliver them back onto the runway in preparation for the reception of the caps or covers.

The machine includes mechanism for switching or shunting the bottles from the runway and delivering them into register with a chute; mechanism for charging the chute with a predeter- -mined length of the fibrous wedding and severing the same; mechanism for arresting the feeding of the charge during the cutting operation to prevent the delivery of an excess amount; plunger mechanism for packing the charge down into the bottle; and driving means and connections for timing the various operations in such a way as to insure proper advance of the bottles through the machine and the performance in timed se-' quence of the various operations.

Further objects and details will appear from a description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the entire machine, showing a section of the runway;

Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the exterior operating part-s viewed from a position at the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailtaken on line 3-2 of Fig. 2, showing the rotary cutter and associated parts;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on line 4-4 of. Fig. 2, looking in the direction ofthe arrows;

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation of the wedding chute and plunger mechanism;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4, looking in arrow;

Fig. '7 is a similar view, looking in the opposite direction, and taken on line 1-4 of Fig. 4; V

Fig. 8 is a sectional plan view, tak'en on line 8-8 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a sectional plan view of the lower portion' of the machine, taken on line 9-9 of Fig. 4; and

, Fig. 10 is an elevation of the lower feed rollers and associated parts, taken on line |0l0 of Fig. 4.

The machine as a whole comprises a lower housing ill of boxlike formation and mounted upon legs H to bring its top wall l2 to about the level of a runway l3 of the character commonly employed in the feeding of bottles or similar receptacles throughout a series of filling or packaging operations. The bottles proceed as a procession along the runway and are diverted inwardly to the wadding machine by a curved guide bar I4 which brings each bottle into proper relation to an intermittently rotating feed disk i5 provided on opposite sides with notches i8 which engage the bottles while standing upright. When a bottle is engaged it is moved forwardly by the feeding disk until it reaches the first position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, at which point it will be engaged by one of two shoulders I! formed by oifsettlhg the flanged rim of an intermittently rotating carrier disk It.

The means for operating these devices will be presently described in full detail, but for the present it suflices to state that the feeding disk and the carrier disk rotate in intermittently timed relation and in opposite directions to one another, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1.

After the bottle has reached the first position indicated in dotted lines, its progress will be momentarily arrested while it stands immediately beneath and inregister with one of the pair of tubes l9 containing a charge of cotton wedding, which is out free from a continuous rope thereof by the action of a rotary cutter wheel 2|. which is constantly driven at a high rate of speed by a motor 22 the shaft of which is in train through a set of gears 23 with a stub shaft 24 which carries the cutter wheel. These parts are carried-by a swinging arm 25 which swivels upon the motor shaft-as a center, and the arm at its rear end is provided with'a roller 26 which is held by a spring against a cam 21 (Fig. 3) so that at recurrent intervals the constantly rothe direction of the tating cutter wheel will be swung inwardly into a slot or gap 28 located between the upper end of one of the tubes l9 and a fixed shoe 29. The continuous rope of wedding is fed across this gap and into the tube l9, so that when the knife swings inwardly it will cut off a charge equal in length to that portion of the rope or strand which extends below the cutting line.

- immediately above the shoe'29.

rope at the instant of cutting and thus preventing slivers of material being pulled downwardly during the cutting operation. Feeding and. guiding of the wedding rope is further assisted by a pair of concavely edged lower feed rolls 35 located The tubes I 9 are located at opposite ends of an intermitently rotating head 35 keyed upon the intermittently rotating shaft. 31, which also mounts the carrier disk I8, so that as the nearer .of the tubes l9 stands in position to receive a charge of wedding, with a bottle aligned with its lower end, the other tube #9 will have advanced to thefarthermost position, at which point the previously loaded charge is forced downwardly into the bottle by the action of a reciprocating plunger rod 38 which strikes downwardly through the aligned tube i9 and forces the charge into the bottle during an instant of rest. The bottle at this instant is steadied by a spring backed hooked finger 39, and after the wedding has been inserted into the bottle it passes outwardly between guide rails 39 and back onto the runway for capping or further manipulation.

The carrier disk and the tubes with their mountings rotate intermittently in unison with two'periods. of rest during each complete cycle, the first of which affords time for the cutting off of a charge of wadding, and the second of which affords time for the delivery of the charge. The

oscillating the cutter wheel mountings.

The shaft 50, within the housing, carries a disk 5| which constitutes part of a Geneva movement group and coacts with a star wheel 52 (Fig. 9) through the medium of a pin 53 which successively engages and rides down intoeach of a plurality of radial slots 54, thereby serving to impart intermittent rotary movement to a vertical stub shaft 55 which carries a spur gear 56 meshing with a pinion 51 loosely mounted upon the 'vertical shaft 31 which carries the head 36 and the carrier disk [8.

The freely mounted pinion 51 on its lower face is recessed to receive clutch balls 58 which engage a recess in a friction plate 59 carried by a collar 60 surrounded by a coil spring 6|. The collar 60 is slidably keyed to the shaft 31 so that th spring will normally maintain a clutching relationship between the shaft andthe P nion 5 but in the event of breakage of a receptacle in the fnachine, the clutch arrangement will permit yielding ofthe parts in order to avoid damage.

The shaft 31 also carries a collar 62 havin8 ear teeth 63, which collar is keyed upon the shaft and rotates therewith. The gear teeth mesh with a pinion 64! mounted upon a depending stub shaft 65 which carries. a sprocket wheel 66 upon which is mounted a sprocket chain 6'! (Fig. 8) for imparting intermittent rotation to the shaft 68. which carries the feed disk l5. This arrangement causes the feed disk and the carrier disk to rotate in unison in opposite directions and in timed relationship to deliver a bottle to the carrier disk at the instant when one of the offset shoulders I! arrives at'and momentarily stops at the receiving position, at which point the bottle will be released by the feed disk, and after momentary arrest will be carried forward withina runway afforded by a curving guide plate 69 having a. curvature concentric with the axis of the carrier disk It. The floor of the runway thus provided is afforded by the' surface of a flat plate 10 secured to thetop of the housing In.

The mechanism for actuating the feed rolls, the rotary cutter, and the plunger, will now be described. The continuously rotating shaft 50 carrying the cutter actuating cam 21 extends upwardly outside of the upper housing H carried by standards 72 springing upwardly from the top of the lower housing 10. The shaft 50 actuates a Worm gear train located in a worm gear box 13 for driving a horizontal shaft 14 which carries the actuating disk 15 of a Geneva movement, being provided with a roller 16 which recurrently engages the slots, ll of a star wheel 7.8 mounted upon a shaft 19 (Fig. 6)

The shaft 19 carries aspur gear 80 meshing with a pinion M on a shaft 82, which also carries a spur gear 83 meshing with a pinion 84 on a crank shaft 85, which at its rear end mounts a crank 86 on which is pivoted a link 81 connecting with alever arm 88 pivoted at its rear end upon a swinging arm 89 and pivoted at its forward end to the plunger 38. This train of connections serves to recurrently impart quickly timed reciprocating movements to the plunger at the instant when one of the tubes I9 has been swung around to registering position at the lower end of the plunger and is momentarily arrested, so that at this instant the previously inserted .charge of wedding will be driven downwardly and packed through the mouth of the bottle, and the plunger will return before the advancing movement of the bottle is resumed.

It will be observed that the gear train for transmitting motion from the intermittently rotated Geneva wheel shaft 19 is one which imparts a l to 4 ratio of movement to the crank shaft 85, so that a one-eighth turn of the star wheel 18 will impart the downward thrust of the plunger 38 which brings the star wheel to the dotted line position of rest, after which a one-eighth rotation of the star wheel will restore the plunger rod to its elevated position. These movements are thus speeded sufficiently to effect a ramming down of the cotton wedding through the tube I9 while the parts are in register and at restfsince the star wheel 52, which controls the movements of the carrier disk, acts in timed relation with the plunger actuating mechanism so that the As shown in Fig. '7, the shaft 85 carries a gear 90 which through a gear train 9| actuates feed roll shafts 92 and 93 upon which the upper feed rolls 33 and 32 are respectively mounted. The peripheries of these rolls nest together so that in unison they exert sufiicient clamping pressure against the. rope of cotton wadding to intermittently feed the same downwardly through the oscillating guide tube 34. This tube which normally is vertically aligned with the rope of wadding, is mounted upon an oscillating pintle 94 which carries an arm 95 having a roller 96 which is engaged by a cam 91 on the continuously rotating Geneva movement shaft 14, so that the guide tube 34 will be recurrently oscillated into an oblique position which puts a kink or bend into the wadding rope at the instant when the rotary feed wheel moves to cutting position, so that the rope will be drawn back during the interval while a charge is being severed.

The intermittently rotating shaft it of the Geneva group intermittently drives the lower feed roll 35 through a gear train which includes the spur gear 98, the pinion 99, the spur gear Hill, and intermeshing pinions Sill and the mounted respectively on the feed .roll shafts I03 and "it .A mercury switch I05 (Figs. 1 and i4) is mounted in proximity to the runway l3 and is adapted to be tilted by a pivoted finger I06 engaged by a spring I01 which normally holds the finger into transverse obstructing relation to the runway, but as containers arrive and pass forward in processional relation, the finger will be pressedinwardly by the pressure of the advancing bottles, and this will tilt the mercury switch into position to close the electrical circuit which controls the supply of current to the motors 40 and '22, so that as long as the bottles are advancmg to the bottle wa'dding machine the motors will be energized and the feeding and wadding operations will continue, but when the procession of bottles terminates or is interrupted, the current will be shut ofi.

Operation In operation a procession of bottles or similar receptacles will advance to the wadding machine and beengaged singly by the feed disk and carried inwardly to the first position, at which point the movement of each bottle will be momentarily arrested at the point where it registers with the Gil aligned tube l9. Thereafter, the bottle in. register with the tube will be carried around to the second position, during which interval the tube will receive a chargeof wadding, which will be cut off from the continuous rope by the action of the cutter wheel.

With the bottle in the second arrested position a and in register with the loaded tube [9, the

plunger" will descend and immediately recede, thereby loading the bottle with a charge of wadding, after which it is delivered back onto the runway and proceeds to its destination.

The mechanism employed for timing and regulating the movements of the operating parts insures the feeding down and cutting off of a charge of wadding during the first interval of rest and the discharge thereof during the second interval tact with the human hand, thereby obviating the possibility of contamination, and at the same time maintaining a speed of operation commensurate progress from the antecedent bottle filling machines or appliances to the point of ultimate discharge.

Although the invention has been described with particularity as to detail, it is not the intention, unless otherwise indicated in the claims, to limit the mechanism to that shown, since modifications in structure may be introduced without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. In a wadding machine of the class described, the combination of a tube adapted to register with the mouth of a receptacle and adapted to receive a charge of wadding for delivery of the same into the interior of the receptacle, means for drawing forward a continuous length of wedding and projecting the forward end thereof into the tube, means for severing the forward end thus fed to constitute a charge, means for bringing the receptacle and the tube into register, a plunger located in position toenter the tube when in register with the receptacle and adapted to eject the charge therefrom into the receptacle, and means for actuating the operating parts in timed relationship.

2. In a wadding machine of the class described, the combination of an intermittently rotatable carrier disk adapted to move a receptacle from a first position of rest to a second position of rest, a tube rotatable with the carrier disk and adapted when standing in the first position of rest to register with the receptacle, means for drawing forward a continuous rope of wadding and projecting the forward end thereof into the tube when in the first position and means for severing the forward end therefrom to constitute a charge, a reciprow-ble plunger adapted to register with the tube and receptacle when moved to the second position of rest, and means for actuating the operating devices in timed relationship to one tube when in the first position and means for severing a length therefrom to constitute a charge, a device for obstructing the withdrawal of an excessive amount of wadding during the severing operation, a reciprocable plunger adapt 'ed' to register with the tube and receptacle when moved to the second position of rest, and means for actuating the operating devices in timed relationship to one another.

4. In a wadding machine of the class described, the combination of an intermittently rotatable carrier disk adapted to move a receptacle from a first position of rest to a second position of rest, a tube rotatable with the carrier disk and adapted when standing in the first position of rest to register with the receptacle, means for feeding forward a continuous rope of wadding into the tube when in the first position and means for severing a length therefrom to constitute a charge, an oscillatory guide member for the rope with the speed of advance of the bottles in their of wadding, adapted during the severing operafeeding a continuous rope of wadding into the tion to be moved into angular relationship to the normal line of advance of the rope to obstruct the free fiow thereof, a reciprocable plunger adapted to register with the tube and receptacle when moved to the second position ofrest, and means for actuating the operating devices in timed relationship to one another.

5. In a wadding machine of the class described, the combination of an intermittently rotatable carrier disk adapted to move a receptacle from a first position of rest to.a sceond position of rest, a tube rotatable with the carrier disk and adapted when standing in the first position of rest to register with the receptacle, means for feeding forward a continuous rope of wadding into the tube when in the first position, and means for severing a length therefrom to constitute a charge, an oscillatory guide tube through which the continuous rope of wadding is directed and adapted during the severing operation to be moved into angular relation to the normal line of advance of the rope to form a kink therein to obstruct the free flow of the material, a reciprocable' plunger adapted to register with the tube and receptacle when moved to the second position of rest, and means for actuating the operating devices in timed relationship to one another.

6. In a wadding machine of the class described, the combination of an intermittently rotatable carrier disk provided with a shoulder adapted in its first posiiton of rest to engage a receptacle and carry the same forward in a curvilinear path, a tube mounted for intermittent rotation with the carrier disk and adapted in the first position of rest to register with a receptacle, means for tube while in the first position of rest, a rotary knife and means for rotating the'same, and a mounting therefor forswinging the knife inwardly into cutting position during the first interval of rest to sever a charge from the continuous rope 'of wadding, means for discharging the charge of wadding from the tube when moved to the second position of rest, and connections for actuating the operating parts in timed relationship to one another.

7. In a wadding machine of the class described, the combination of an intermittently rotatable carrier disk provided with a shoulder adapted in its first position of rest to engage a receptacle and carry the same forward in a curvilinear path, a tube mounted for intermittent rotation with the carrier disk and adapted in the first position of rest to register with a receptacle, means for feeding a continuous rope of wadding into the tube while in the first position of rest, a rotary knife and means for rotating the same anda mounting therefor for swinging the knife inwardly into cutting position during the first interval of rest to sever a charge from the continuous rope of wadding, a plunger mounted for reciprocation in line with the tube when occupying the second position of rest and adapted to then discharge the previously inserted charge of wadding into the receptacle, and connections for actuating the operating parts in timed relationship to one another.

8. 'In a wadding machine of the class described, the combination of an intermittently rotatable carrier disk adapted when in its first position of rest to engage a receptacle, a pair of tubes and an intermittently rotatable mounting therefor adapted to bring the tubes alternately to the first position of rest and thereafter 'move them alterthe tubes alternately when standing in the first position of rest and cutting devices for severing the forward end of the rope of wadding thus delivered to constitute a charge, means for discharging the charges alternately from the respective tubes when moved to the second position of restjand means for actuating the operating parts in timed relationship to one another.

9. In a wadding machine of the class described. the combination of an intermittently rotatable carrierdisk adapted when in its first position of rest to engage a receptacle, a pair, of tubes and an intermittently rotatable mounting therefor adapted to bring the tubes alternately to the first position of rest and thereafter move them alternately to a second position of rest, feeding means for advancing a continuous rope of wadding and projecting the forward end thereof into each. of

the tubes alternately when standing in the first position of rest and cutting devices for severing the forward end of the rope of wadding thus delivered to constitute a charge, a reciprocating plunger for discharging the charges alternately from the respective tubes when moved to the second'position of rest, and means for actuating theoperating parts in timed relationship to one another.

10. In a wadding machine of the class described,vthe combination of an intermittently rotatable carrier disk adapted when in its first position of rest to engage'a receptacle, a pair of tubes and an intermittently rotatable mounting there for adapted to bring the tubes alternately to the first position of rest and thereafter move them alternately to a second position of rest, feeding means for advancing a continuous rope of wadding and projecting the forward end thereof into each of the tubes alternately when standing in the first position of rest and cutting means for severing the forward end of the rope of wadding thus delivered to constitute a charge, means for discharging the charges alternately from the respective tubes when moved to the second position of rest, and means for actuating the operating parts in timed relationship to one another, said means including Geneva movement mechanisms for feeding intermittent movements of the carrier disk, the tube mountings, and the discharging mechanisms.

11. In a wadding machine of the class described, the combinatio'n of an intermittently rotatable carrier disk adapted when in its first position of rest to engage a receptacle, a pair of tubes and an intermittently rotatable mounting therefor adapted to bring the tubes alternately to the first position of rest and thereafter move them alternately to a second position of rest, feeding means for advancing a continuous rope of wadding and projecting the forward end thereof into each of the tubes alternately when standing in the first position of rest and cutting devices for severing the forward end of the rope of wadding thus delivered to constitute a charge, a reciprocating plunger for discharging the charges alternately .from the respective tubes when moved to the second position of rest, and means for actuating the operating parts in timed relation to one another, said means including Geneva movement mechanisms for feeding intermittent movements of the carrier disk, the tube mountings, and the discharging mechanisms.

12. In a wadding machine of the class 'deand projecting the forward end thereof into the scribed, in combination with a runway for guidin; forward a procession of receptacles, an intermittently rotatable notched feeding disk adapted to-engage the receptacles singly and carry the same inwardly, an intermittently rotatable carrier disk provided with a shoulder adapted to singly enga e the. receptacle delivered by the feeding disk and carry the same forwardly in a curvilinear path from a first position of rest to a second position of rest, an intermittently rotatable tube adapted to register with .the receptacle in the first position of rest and to move therewith to the second position of rest, means for feeding forward a continuous rope of wadding material and projecting the forward end thereof into the tube when standing in the first position of rest,

cutter means adapted during said interval to sever the forward end of the wadding so delivered linear path from a first position of rest to a second position of rest, an intermittently rotatable tube adapted to register with the receptacle in the first position of rest and to move therewith to the second position of rest, means for feeding forward a continuous rope of waddlng material tube when standing in the first position of rest,

'cutter means adapted during said interval to sever the forward end of the waddlng so delivered to constitute a charge, a reciprocating plunger for entering into and discharging the charge'from the tube when standing in the second position of rest, and connections for actuating the operating devices in timed relation to one another.

14. In a wadding machine of the class described, in combination with a runway for guiding forward a procession of receptacles, an intermittently rotatable notched feeding disk adapted to engage the receptacles singly and carry the same inwardly, an'intermittently rotatable car rier'disk provided with a shoulder adapted to singly engage the receptacle forwardly in a curvilinear path from a first position of rest to a second position of rest, an intermittently rotatable tube adapted to register with the receptacle in the first position of rest and to move therewith to the second position of rest, means for feeding forward a continuous rope of wadding material and proiecting the forward end thereof into the tube when standing in the first position of rest, cutter means adapted during said interval to sever the forward end of the waddlng so delivered to constitute a charge, a reciprocating plunger for entering into and discharging the charge from the tube when standing in the second position of rest, and connections for actuating the operating devices in timed relation to one a'nother, said actuating connections including Geneva movement mechanisms for imparting intermittent rotary movements to the feeding disk, the carrier disk, and the tube.

' THOMAS C. WY. 

